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EDITOR EDDIE BERGANZA ON GOING FROM THE BLACKEST NIGHT TO BRIGHTEST DAY

EDITOR EDDIE BERGANZA ON GOING FROM THE BLACKEST NIGHT TO...

It was such a good BLACKEST NIGHT (I was just lamenting in this very space how sad I was that it was over), but now come the white rays of a brand new BRIGHTEST DAY.
Mustn’t hit snooze… must get up…
…No rest for the wicked or Editors working with Geoff Johns.
Time to make the Comics.
With that bit of incentive, I leap out of bed and recharge starting off with reciting the DC oath—
“--When BRIGHTEST DAY must ship because BLACKEST NIGHT is over, no script or crossover shall escape my sight. Let those who do not obey the deadline right beware my power, an Editor’s might!”
With that my will is fully charged to deal with New York’s transit system. Aside from a hundred or more happy campers on the train, I have other company, one that will be haunting me for a while.
Deadman or currently after the events of BLACKEST NIGHT Aliveman.
“Hey, Boston.” I say. (yes, an occupational hazard for writers and editors is that we live with our characters 24/7). “What? You see me?!” he replies a bit startled. Note this is a huge deal for Mr. Brand because since he got back as the only bearer of a white ring he has been tossed from one resurrected person to another while remaining invisible as “seen” in BRIGHTEST DAY #0.
“Yeah, you doof,” I snort. “How else am I gonna tell Peter Steigerwald how to color you and add more glows to your White Ring effects?”
Noting I am not a morning person, Boston remains silent for the rest of the trip, which is good, people were starting to stare.
Finally arriving at the Dark Tower that is the fortress for DC Comics, I am greeted by my associate editor Adam Schlagman—I am convinced that Adam is a Manhunter robot as I have never seen him sleep and he is returning e-mails around the clock.
Speaking of which, I valiantly try to catch up to the rest of the world as I check in with Spain (6 hours ahead) and Ardian Syaf’s agent Pepe Caldelas to see how the latest pages on the Hawkman sequence are doing. He tells me inker Vincente Cifuentes will have the part with _________ in just a bit. It looks amazing especially the… you’ll see.
Then only an hour ahead in Brazil I check in with designer/finisher/agent extraordinare Joe Prado to see how he and Ivan Reis are doing with Aquaman and my pal Boston.
“Don’t worry. Be Cool, all will be well,” he confidently states in a deep voice that has a hint of his Portuguese accent.
OK then, seeing jpegs, I’m happy that mine and co-writer Pete Tomasi’s time watching the Discovery Channel has paid off giving Geoff an idea for a particularly nasty scene between Aquaman and one of his finny friends.
But I’m not making up any time, so I try to get the drop on L.A. (who we’re ahead of by 2 hours).
Nope. Geoff is already awake. He wants notes on the latest GREEN LANTERN. Does the White Lantern scene work with what’s happening in BD?
Before I’m even off the phone, I now have messages from both Pete and Pat Gleason to see if we like the design on the baddie that’s gonna make J’onn J’onzz life hell on Earth.
Yup, no looking back at past wins, we’re in full BRIGHTEST DAY mode here!
And I need another recharge. No oath this time.
I stop assistant editor Rex Ogle from ballooning for a bit to take a short trip across the street for some Starbucks. He fills me in on what Maxwell Lord is doing in JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST, and then Caramel Macchiato grande in hand back to work. Have to see if the other BRIGTEST DAY books, FLASH, GREEN ARROW, BIRDS OF PREY, TITANS, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, GREEN LANTERN CORPS and the upcoming GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD WARRIORS are all on track with their bits that will add to explain why the twelve have returned.
They are back for a reason!
For all involved there is no slacking this BRIGHTEST DAY!